Brave Symphonia
by Mieu
Summary: When you take characters from another Tales game and replace most of the Symphonia cast with them, how will this affect the story? And how will poor Lloydie cope? Crossover with Tales of Vesperia. Collab with Lunardragon2607. DISCONTINUED Sorry.
1. Prelude

**Eragonfanatic92: Hey everyone, this is (obviously) a new fic. It's a collab between Lunardragon2607 and myself. We'll be switching off between even and odd chapters. By the way, I like to go by Mieu.**

**Lunardragon2607: Hi everyone! I'm Lunar! ****Well, I had this random idea and I shared it with Mieu so we decided to make a collab fic. Now what? Oh! Pairings that will be in this fic! Mieu, get the paper.**

**Mieu: Uh…one minute…/starts searching through random pockets/ Uh…maybe two.**

**Lunar: Um…I'll say the disclaimer while you look then. **

**Eragonfanatic92 and Lunardragon2607 do not own Tales of Symphonia or Tales of Vesperia. If we did, we'd be filthy stinking rich.**

**Mieu: I can't find it!! **

* * *

_Once upon a time there existed a giant tree that was the source of mana._

A_ war however, caused this tree to wither away, and a hero's life was sacrificed in order to take its place. _

_Grieving over the loss, the Goddess disappeared unto the heavens. _

_The goddess left the angels with this edict: "You must wake me, for if I should sleep, the world shall be destroyed." _

_The angels bore The Chosen One who headed towards the Tower that reached up unto the heavens. _

_And that marked the beginning of the Regeneration of the world._

A boy stood in the back of a classroom holding two buckets full of water. He appeared to have nodded off near the beginning of the lecture, even with buckets in both hands. A short brown haired girl garbed in red stood in the front of the classroom, lecturing the students about Alexei, the Hero of the Kharlan War.

"Lloyd. Lloyd Irving, wake up!" a female teenage voice called.

Suddenly a chain looped over some exposed scaffolding and then wrapped around the boy's waist and he was hoisted up off the ground. Suddenly wide awake, the buckets fell to the ground with a splash, followed by a thunk.

"Professor Mordio! What are you doing!" He yelled, scrabbling around and swinging back and forth like a pendulum.

A boy with a large bag sitting in his desk a few rows ahead sighed.

"Rita, put Lloyd down," the boy asked.

"Why should I?" Rita demanded. "He was sleeping during my class again!"

She kept her hold on the whip as Lloyd hung absolutely helpless. The younger brother thought quickly on his feet, saying, "Then you won't finish the lecture in time!" Rita instantly released Lloyd, while he fell to the ground with an 'Oomf' before saying, "Then Karol, you answer the question," as she strolled back to the front of the room.

Karol stood up and replied, "Fine Rita. Alexei the Hero ended the Ancient War in the Holy Ground of Kharlan."

Rita crossed her arms and nodded.

"Yeah, that's right. After that, Alexei formed a pact with the Goddess Katherine, also known as Goddess Casey. He journeyed to seal away all members of the Blood Alliance, who caused the war," she said.

Lloyd crawled to his feet, slightly winded. "But the Blood Alliance came back, and are now causing everyone to suffer!" he yelled.

Rita sighed, before randomly picking up a book and twirling it in her hands.

"We already went over that in class a couple of days ago, remember?" Rita asked. "When the Seal weakens, the Blood Alliance breaks free and come back, just like they are now."

Lloyd sheepishly put a hand behind his head.

"I…I knew that. I…I just forgot," he stuttered.

Rita sighed before putting down her book.

"Today is the Day of Prophecy. It's a very important day. The Chosen of Mana will receive an Oracle from the Goddess. Now Chosen One…Estelle," Rita called out.

A girl with short bubble gum pink hair discretely shut a book and hid it under her desk. She was garbed in white.

"Yes ma'am. What is it?" she asked while standing up.

"Tell us about the journey of World Regeneration," Rita requested.

"It is a journey to seal the Blood Alliance. Upon passing the trials of the Goddess Katherine, the Summon Spirits that protect the world awaken, and the mana is restored," Estelle informed the class and Rita nodded in agreement.

"Correct. I suppose we should expect the Chosen herself to know the answer to that one," Rita smirked. "Mana depletion is the cause of the current food shortages and droughts. It is said that this occurs because Blood Alliance consume vast amounts of mana in their Human Ranches. The Chosen's Journey has two missions – to revive mana as well as defeat the Blood Alliance. Now, for the next question - "

Rita was cut off as a bright light flashed and filled the classroom.

Lloyd shielded his eyes, and gasped, "What was that?"

Estelle covered her eyes as well. "That's…" she started to say.

"Everyone calm down," Rita ordered. "It looks like that's the Oracle. I'll go exa- I mean check the chapel. Everyone, stay here and study on your own. And you better do it or I'll fry you!" She called as she ran out of the classroom.

"Professor, wait! I'll go with you!" Estelle said, as she stood up and stumbled over to the classroom door.

"No Estelle. If it's the Oracle, the priests will come and get you. Wait here with everyone, and don't leave this classroom," Rita told Estelle.

Estelle nodded, slightly disappointed.

"Yes ma'am," she replied and begrudgingly returned to her seat and sat down.

It wasn't long before Lloyd got bored and decided to leave the classroom.

"Lloyd! Where are you going? Don't tell me you're sneaking out! Rita will hang you by the neck and blast you with Fire Ball if you don't listen to her!" Karol protested. Lloyd sighed as he said, "Relax. They always talk about the Chosen of Regeneration and the Day of Prophecy, but no one tells us what really happens."

Karol's knees started shaking.

"But my sister said to stay and study by ourselves!" he argued.

"It's research." Lloyd simply said.

"That's just an excuse! What happens if you get attacked by monsters?" Karol asked.

"So? That doesn't matter. All I've got to do is beat them. You're coming too, right? Estelle, want to come also?" Lloyd asked his friends.

Estelle shut the book that she was reading and looked up.

"…Huh?" she asked.

Lloyd shook his head in amusement.

"You love books too much. Come on."

Estelle walked over and asked, "What are we doing?"

Lloyd shook his head as he answered, "What else? We're going to where the light came from! You're involved in all of this, aren't you a bit curious about what's going on?"

"Hmm…Are you curious about it?" Estelle asked.

"Of course!" Lloyd replied, a big grin plastered on his face.

"Okay, then I will be too!" Lloyd looked over to Karol and gave him a big smirk. "See? Dwarven Vow #4: Don't depend on others. Walk on your own two legs. Okay then! Let's head on over to the chapel!" Lloyd proclaimed as he and Estelle walked out of the schoolhouse.

Karol groaned in disapproval before grabbing his bag and following Lloyd out the door.

* * *

The three of them walked side by side, until they reached the front of the school. "Hey, where is everyone?" Karol asked, looking around nervously.

Just then, a blonde man approached them, a grim look on his face.

"Father!" Estelle called out.

"Frank!" Lloyd waved.

"Estelle! Thank goodness you're safe." Frank gasped in relief.

Karol glanced at Frank before looking around some more.

"What happened to everyone?" he asked.

"They're all hiding. The Blood Alliance invaded the village a short while ago. Thankfully, no one was hurt. They passed through the village and headed for the Chapel," Frank informed them.

Karol nervously put a hand on his bag.

"Why?! Iselia has a non-aggression treaty with the Blood Alliance! They're not suppose to come here as long as we leave the ranch alone!" he shouted.

Estelle nodded to Karol's words and added, "Yes, Grandmother said it is to protect me… Oh! Where is Grandmother?"

Frank shook his head.

"Phaidra is in the chapel preparing for the ritual," he said, a tone of regret in his voice.

Lloyd suddenly appeared alert and worried.

"Phaidra's in the chapel? But that's where the Blood Alliance…" he gasped. Frank held his hands up in a calming gesture.

"The priests are there with her. There's no need to worry," he said, even though his tone said otherwise. "Now Estelle…"

The pink haired girl's head bobbed up and down.

"I know. I promise to fulfill my duty as the Chosen One," she said.

Frank nodded solemnly. "Good luck, Estelle. Lloyd, Karol, you two should go on home. It's much too dangerous with the Blood Alliance running around," he asked of them.

Lloyd firmly stood his ground, slightly ticked at Frank's words.

"I'm worried about letting Estelle go by herself. She could get hurt. I'm going with her," he announced.

"Uhh…I think I'll be going home. Y'know, so I can make sure they didn't take anything from my house…" Karol muttered, attempting to walk away.

Before Karol could escape, Lloyd grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Don't be chicken, come on!" he said.

Karol sagged in defeat and reluctantly agreed.

Frank had a worried look in his eyes.

"But…All right. Please be careful. Thank you. I'll wait at the house. Come back immediately if anything happens," he ordered them.

* * *

"All right. To the chapel!" Lloyd shouted as he pumped a fist in the air.

He ran for the village exit, but stopped dead in his tracks when a zombie approached him.

"Whoa, it's a monster!" he exclaimed, very surprised.

"M-monster? I thought monsters in this area only were in the Iselia Forest! Besides, monsters shouldn't be near sanctuaries. Why would they be over here?" Karol stuttered as he cowered behind Lloyd.

The zombie stumbled around appearing drunk.

"Perhaps this is part of the trial. Katherine's trial involves battling monsters. I remember reading about it in a book," Estelle said.

It took notice of the three children and held its arms out towards them, while stumbling forward.

"We don't have time to talk! Let's get this thing!" Lloyd said, yanking his swords out of their sheaths.

He started out with three quick swipes before Karol came in from the side and pulled out a sword that appeared to be twice his size. He swung around many times, almost loosing control and hitting Lloyd. Lloyd awkwardly blocked an attack from the Zombie before slashing at it some more. It nearly scratched his face, but he leaned back at the last second to evade it. "Whoa!" Estelle came from behind the zombie and dropped a red squeaky hammer, yelling "Pow Hammer!" as she did so. The monster wavered in his spot and dropped down dead.

"Quick, let's go before any more monsters come!" Lloyd yelled, sheathing both swords and dashing out of the city followed closely by Karol and Estelle.

* * *

After walking at a brisk pace for half an hour, they were approached by two rabbits and a wolf. Lloyd and Estelle attacked the wolf at the same time with a shockwave of energy.

"Demon Fang!" Lloyd called as he swiped his blade across the ground.

"Star Stroke!" Estelle proclaimed as she slammed her blade onto the ground as well, following Lloyd's example.

Both shockwaves hit the wolf head on, killing it. They both proceeded to attack at the same time, while Karol spun in circles, crying out "Punishing Smash!", hitting both hares. The monsters were quickly taken care of as they approached the chapel.

As they got closer to the temple, Karol took the opportunity to ask Estelle a question.

"Estelle, why do you call Star Stroke 'Star Stroke' when it's pretty much identical to Lloyd's 'Demon Fang'?" he asked.

"Yeah, that was bugging me too," Lloyd added.

"Star Stroke sounds so much nicer than 'Demon Fang'! Demon Fang makes me think of evil creatures' teeth! Star Stroke sounds much more sophisticated than Demon Fang. In fact, you should probably call your attack Star Stroke!" Estelle answered.

"Uh...No...I'm good..." Lloyd responded. The two boys sweatdropped before quickening their pace to get to the temple.

* * *

"Whoa, that light really is coming from the temple!" Lloyd said, shielding his eyes from the intense light coming from the Katherine Temple.

"Then an oracle is going to be conveyed. Estelle's going to be the Chosen of Regeneration," Karol said.

Karol and Lloyd both glanced at Estelle.

"It's really bright! I wonder how they did that? Perhaps one of Professor Rita's books can tell me," she said.

The boys sighed and sweatdropped.

"Say, Estelle…when the oracle is conveyed, you'll become the Chosen who will save the world, right? You're going to be like the hero Alexei! So maybe you should act a little more…you know, Chosen – like…" Lloyd told her.

Estelle perked up.

"Yeah! No problem. No problem." Estelle chirped.

"H-hey, there's a lot of commotion coming from up there," Karol noticed.

Attacks could be distinctively heard, even from the bottom of the staircase. "You're right!" Lloyd gasped.

"Chosen One!" a priest yelled from up the stairs.

He was holding his stomach, and there was fresh blood flowing from a cut in his robe. He stumbled down the steps before tripping on the last few, landing on his back. "Pastor!" Estelle cried as she ran to him.

"Hey, are you alright?" Lloyd said at the same time.

"The Blood Alliance broke the non – aggression treaty and attacked the temple…Chosen One…quickly…the oracle…" he choked out.

"I know." Estelle said with determination.

Karol's eyes started watering at the sad sight.

"Please… be careful… I regret that I will not … be able to pro…tect… the… Cho…sen," he said with his dying breath.

"Pastor, hang on!" Estelle cried, holding her hands out, desperately using her healing artes to save him.

Lloyd somberly shook his head as he checked for a pulse.

"It's no good. He's…gone," he grimly reported.

"No!" Karol cried before sobbing into his hands.

Estelle wiped away some tears before standing.

"…I'm going." she announced, trying to stop the tears.

"Estelle, wait! It's dangerous to go by yourself!" Karol choked out.

"Yes…but I have to go. I'm the Chosen." Estelle said quietly. "It's my duty to accept the Oracle. Both of you wait here, okay?"

Karol's mouth was agape in disbelief.

"Lloyd, are you going to let Estelle go by herself!? There are Blood Alliance members up there!" he pleaded, not wanting Estelle to walk to her death.

Lloyd held up a fist.

"I'm going too. I can't let you go by yourself," he said.

Estelle turned around, saying, "Are you sure?"

Lloyd nodded and said, "Dwarven Vow #1: Let's work together for a peaceful world. I'm coming with you and I won't take no for an answer."

"I… I'm coming too! I'm worried about Rita! She may be tough, but anything could happen!" Karol added.

"O…Okay…" Estelle stuttered.

They ran up the stairs together, only to be stopping when they saw a skinny man, midget, and a man who held himself with dignity were speaking to Phaidra.

"I say, where is the Chosen?" The tall skinny man asked in a raspy voice.

The older woman backed up, not saying anything. She then noticed Estelle, Karol, and Lloyd.

"Run, Estelle!" she said.

"Lieutenant Leblanc, there she is!" the shortest of the bodyguards proclaimed.

"I say, Chosen, your life is mine!" the tall man sneered.

Lloyd growled at his opponents and unsheathed one of his swords. "I won't let you Blood Alliance get away with anything!"

The man who had yet to talk laughed. "Blood Alliance? …Hahaha!"

Karol had a puzzled look on his face. "What's so funny?" The ignored him.

"Well then, die at the hands of the Blood Alliance you so hate. Adecor, Boccus. Eliminate them," Leblanc ordered.

Both of Leblanc's subordinates then ran forward at the same time.

"I'll take care of this." Boccus, the midget, proclaimed while running forward, his spear aimed at Lloyd.

"I say, _I _will take care of this." Adecor, the tall man, replied as he past his ally, his sword aimed at Lloyd as well.

An argument soon ensued, and the three friends glanced at each other. Lloyd and Karol took this opportunity to smash in both of their faces and knock them unconscious. The lieutenant groaned in disapproval.

"Vidarr, get out here!" Leblanc ordered.

A large man with too many weapons started thumping out of the chapel.

A faint "Hey! Get back here!" could be heard from inside, but was barely noticeable over the clanking Vidarr made. The gorilla of a man named Vidarr swung his mace around his head, stating, "Do not get in our way." He slammed his war hammer into the ground a couple of times, effectively knocking the kids over.

"This guy's strong!" Karol stammered, shaking a bit, his trembling hands barely holding his weapon.

Estelle was simply too scared to say a word.

"Man, this guy is really tough!" Lloyd groaned.

He watched as the oversized monkey swung his mace menacingly, before squeezing his eyes shut as the ball approached him. _The professor's chain is nothing compared to this._

* * *

**Mieu: Found it! …The chapter's over already? Lunar? Where'd you go? Helllooooo?? Fine then. Anyway, we have a general idea on what the pairings are going to be, but the reviewers can vote too! Lunar doesn't want any Yaoi pairings though. So far this is what we've come up with: **

**FlynnxEstelle  
YurixJudith**  
**KarolxNan**

**Yes, it's very short. These can be changed at anytime, so if anyone wants to propose some pairings, go right on ahead! **

**Review and get Lloyd and Estelle shaped cookies! **


	2. Caseys Chapel and a Mysterious Swordsman

**Mieu: Welcome to Chapter 2. Short update, yup. It's Lunar's turn today. **

**Lunar: Yeah, its my turn. If you guys notice a style change this chapter, its because I wrote this one. And you'll probably see it again when Mieu goes again. Now, then. Mieu has an announcement.**

**Mieu: Anyways, we have 2 reviews that we **_**have **_**to address, so PAY ATTENTION TO THE AUTHORS NOTE BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE WON'T READ IT!!! Ahem. The two reviews that we have to address belong to fishy, and anon****2****. They have brought up very important points. We are NOT going to stick to the Tales of Symphonia storyline and just remake it with Tales of Vesperia characters. No. In the beginning it might seem the same, but the seals are being completely redone. We are going to fu- I mean fudge up the storyline so badly past the Tower of Salvation, that it's going to be very hard to recognize as Tales of Symphonia, and it's going to take a heck of a long time to finish. Even when the 'game' is over, the story will not be. We will **_**not **_**be going into the Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World storyline though. All the Symphonia characters **_**will **_**have cameo appearances, and there will be even more-Uh…nevermind. That's too far ahead. That was a long rant. I usually can't do those. Anyways, now what?**

**Lunar: Well, you get to disclaim the story. I'm going to go find some food. I'm hungry. (Departs)**

**Mieu: I get the disclaimer today!**

**Lunardragon2607 and Eragonfanatic92 do not own Tales of Symphonia or Tales of Vesperia. If we did, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World would have had a cameo battle.**

* * *

Just as the mace was about to make contact with Lloyd's head, a sword intercepted the weapon and smacked it away. The person holding the sword then slashed at Vidarr, knocking him down.

Lloyd opened his eyes to see a red-haired man clad in purple, wearing a swallow-tail cape, and holding a double-edge sword and shield staring down Vidarr. He had a steely gaze that spelled death for those caught in its path.

"Who… Who are you?" Lloyd asked.

"Get out of the way," the man replied.

As Vidarr got back up, the swordsman was on his guard, ready for the next attack. At the same time, Lloyd, Karol, and Estelle braced themselves for what was next. Just as Vidarr got back up, a blast of blue energy shot Vidarr in the back, knocking him down again.

"I wasn't done having fun with you yet."

The four saw a man standing in the doorway of the temple. He was clad in black, had long black hair, wore a black hat that covered his eyes, and held a sword in his left hand.

"Yuri!?" Lloyd, Karol, and Estelle exclaimed.

"Estlelle!? Karol!? Lloyd!? What are you… Never mind. Just stay back!" Yuri ordered.

To the purple-clad swordsman's surprise, all three of them obeyed Yuri's ordered and took a few steps back, but still had their weapons ready, just in case.

"Okay, tin man. Time to finish what we started," Yuri sneered.

"I'll take both of you on!" Vidarr proclaimed, pointing with his mace to both Yuri and the red-headed swordsman.

Never one to refuse a challenge, both swordsmen charged Vidarr at the same time. Vidarr blocked both swords with his weapons, then swung his arms around, hitting both swordsman. They quickly recovered and swung their swords in the air.

"Demon Fang!"

"Azure Blast!"

Two blast of mana, one on the ground; the other in the air, were shot at Vidarr at the same time. Both attacks connected, causing Vidarr to stumble. Both swordsmen looked at each other and nodded, as if they had the same idea. Yuri charged Vidarr first and stopped right in front of him. He kicked Vidarr hard, sending him into the air, then jumped up above the flying Vidarr, calling out 'Severing Fang!', and slashed at Vidarr hard. Due to the force of the blow, Vidarr came soaring back to the ground, where the mysterious swordsman was waiting. Just before Vidarr landed, the swordsman stabbed forward with all his might, crying out 'Sonic Thrust!'. His sword managed to go through a split in Vidarr's armor, stabbing him. The swordsman then removed his sword from its flesh sheath and summoned mana in his free hand.

"Fire Ball!" he chanted.

Balls of fire came from his hand and incinerated the already injured Vidarr, knocking him unconscious. Yuri went over to his body and kicked him down the chapel stairs, ignoring the clangs that resulted. Leblanc growled in disappointment, angry that the tides had turned.

"I say, I never expected you to show up. Damn. We retreat for now," Leblanc ordered.

Adecor, Boccos, and the remaining Blood Alliance members quickly followed Leblanc's lead and got out of there.

Yuri walked up to Lloyd's group, eying everyone.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked.

His response was to be tackled down into a bear hug (otherwise known as a glomp) by the three kids, all of them extremely happy to see him.

"Whoa! I know you're happy to see me and all, but this is a bit much, don't ya think?" Yuri asked.

All three of them quickly got off Yuri, blushing.

"Yuri! You're back!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Of course I'm back. Why wouldn't I be back?" he asked.

"But you said that your last job would take a long time to finish," Karol said.

"And it did. But I had some unexpected help and got done early. I then decided to come back and help out here, seeing as the Day of Prophecy has come," Yuri explained, eying Estelle.

"Yes. I need to receive the Oracle," said Estelle.

"Hm… So this girl… She is the next Chosen?" the mysterious swordsman asked, ignored until now.

"Yes, this girl is the Chosen and she is to receive the Oracle. However, the members of the Blood Alliance killed the priests that were to accompany her. And with there still being plenty of monsters in the temple, I am worried to send the Chosen in alone," Phaidra, who had just come out of hiding, explained.

"Then I'll take on the job of guarding Estelle!" Lloyd proclaimed.

"You, Lloyd? I'd still be worried with just you," Phaidra said.

The red-haired swordsman carefully eyed Lloyd with an intense stare.

"Your name is Lloyd?" he asked.

"Yeah, but who are you to ask for my name?" Lloyd snapped back.

The swordsman smirked for a moment before answering.

"I am Kratos, a mercenary. As long as I'm paid, I will take on the job of protecting the Chosen," he introduced himself.

"I'll help too. I did come back early to assist Estelle with this," Yuri added.

"I should go too. Estelle is my friend, and I'm worried about Rita as well," Karol said.

Phaidra looked at the four males and sighed.

"Very well. I'll leave the job of guarding the Chosen to you four," she said as she stepped aside.

Kratos then turned to Lloyd.

"Lloyd. You'll only get in the way. You and your friend go home. This is not a job for children," Kratos said.

A flash of anger appeared on Lloyd's face for a second then quickly disappeared.

"Fine. I get it. We'll just follow you in on our own," Lloyd replied.

Kratos shook his head in amusement, Yuri chuckled, Estelle seemed happy, and Karol was shaking.

"You're a stubborn kid. Fine, do what you want," said Kratos.

"Come on guys! Let's go!" Lloyd said as he raced into the temple.

"Wait up, Lloyd!" Karol shouted as he followed Lloyd in.

"This isn't a field trip, you know…" Kratos muttered.

"Lighten up, would you? I was like that at one time and I'm certain that you were too," said Yuri.

"Heh. Me be anything like him? Now that's farfetched," Kratos replied as he followed the boys inside.

Yuri was about to follow him inside when Estelle grabbed him and hugged him.

"Yuri. I'm glad to have you back. We all missed you. You were gone for so long," said Estelle.

"I know. Sorry about that. But I had to hunt down that thief who stole your mother's momento, along with all those other items. I have your momento right here," Yuri replied.

Yuri handed Estelle a hairclip with a pink flower and white beads on it.

Estelle let out a few tears and hugged Yuri again.

"Thank you, Yuri. This means so much to me," she said.

"If you must thank anyone, you should thank the person who helped me find it. Without her help, I'd of never of found it as soon as I did and make it back here to defend this place," Yuri replied.

"Oh? Who would this girl be, Yuri?" Estelle asked.

Yuri slightly blushed for a moment, which miraculously, Estelle noticed.

"Oh? Is this a SPECIAL girl?" she asked.

Yuri blushed a little more and looked at the ground. He frantically tried to hide his blush behind a poker face.

Before he could reply, a voice called out.

"Yuri! Estelle! Hurry up! Lloyd is getting impatient!" Karol's voice echoed.

"I'll save that story for another time, Estelle," said Yuri.

"Okay! Let's go. I have an Oracle to accept!" Estelle replied as she grabbed Yuri's hand and they ran into the temple.

Once inside the temple, the party of five quickly encountered a sealed door.

"It's sealed," Kratos stated.

"Well, that's good to know, Captain Obvious," Yuri replied.

"The Sorcerer's Ring should be able to unseal it," Estelle stated.

"What's that?" Lloyd asked.

"The Sorcerer's Ring is a holy artifact of the Church of Katherine. It is said that the Goddess gave the hero Alexei that ring as a symbol of their pact and that she blessed it with her power. The ring is kept safe in the lower levels of the Katherine Temple, to only be used by the Chosen of Regeneration," Estelle informed.

"It seems this Chosen has a vast amount of knowledge." Kratos noted.

"Thank you for pointing out what we already know again, Captain Obvious," Yuri sneered.

"Would you focus on releasing this seal?" Kratos sneered back.

"Wanna make me?" Yuri growled.

"Guys! Stop this! What's important is that we get the Ring so Estelle can receive the Oracle," Karol shouted.

"Fine," Yuri sighed.

"Whatever," Kratos grunted.

"Estelle, where's the ring again?" Lloyd asked.

"In the lower levels," she answered.

"Then we gotta go! We don't wanna keep that Oracle waiting!" Lloyd said

* * *

The group had made it to the lower levels of the temple. On a platform some distance away, the Sorcerer's Ring floated, awaiting a new owner.

"So, that's the Sorcerer's Ring? I can't wait to try it out!" Lloyd proclaimed.

As Lloyd was trying to figure out a way to get to the ring, Karol let out a scream.

"M-M-Monster!" he screamed out.

A golem made of rock was stomping towards the quivering Karol, ready to strike.

"Look out!" Kratos shouted as he ran to stop the golem.

Luckily for Karol, Yuri managed to stop the golem in its tracks with a well-timed Azure Edge. Kratos then followed it up with Sonic Thrust, causing it to stumble, and then was finished off with a Demon Fang from Lloyd. It curled up into a ball and turned into a stone block.

"Whoa. I didn't see that coming," Lloyd said.

Estelle went over to the block and examined it.

"What do you think this is for?" she asked.

She then randomly began poking at it, looking for answers. Estelle poked a little too hard and the block slid across the floor and fell down one of the floor's hole to a chasm below.

Everyone just blankly stared at the hole for a few seconds, contemplating what happened.

"I get it…" Kratos muttered.

"So, that's how we get across…" Yuri whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked.

"You'll see in a second," Yuri replied.

"Another monster!" Karol yelled out.

Sure enough, another golem had appeared. Kratos ran over and quickly defeated it. The process then repeated itself. Yuri, Kratos, and Lloyd took on the golems while Estelle and Karol sent the blocks to the floor below.

"Yeah!" Lloyd shouted out. "I beat one! Whoo!"

"Uh, Lloyd. In the time it took you to defeat one, Yuri and Kratos took out five. Each," Karol rained on his parade.

"Dammit!" he shouted.

Soon enough, they managed to defeat enough golems and get enough blocks to form a bridge. They crossed the bridge and made their way to the Ring.

"Lloyd, you take the ring," Estelle said.

"Yes! I want to see how it- Wait, you should take it. After all, its for the Chosen," he sniffed.

"I trust you," Estelle replied.

"Better do as the lady says. You know how stubborn she can be," Yuri warned.

"Okay then. It means I get to try it out!" Lloyd grinned, trying to hide his enthusiasm.

The five made their way back to the sealed door.

"So, how does this work?" Lloyd asked.

"Just point the Ring at your target and press the gem at the top," Estelle replied.

Lloyd pointed the ring at the door and fired. A small flameball fired from the ring and hit the blue circle on the door, causing the door to disappear and the path to open.

Lloyd, Karol, and Yuri sweatdropped.

"Is that all? Shouldn't it be more… flashy?" Karol asked.

"I was expecting more," Lloyd added.

"That was anti-climatic," Yuri finished.

They went through the door and into the transporter, taking them to the top floor.

* * *

"This appears to be the top floor," Kratos observed as they reappeared in another room within the Katherine Temple.

In front of them was this huge altar. Floating gently above the altar was a pink gem. It shone brightly, giving off powerful magic that most would envy to have.

"Then that shining gem is the Cruxis Crystal, right?" Lloyd asked.

"Correct. I was told I was born with that gem in my hand," Estelle replied.

Estelle then approached the altar to give her prayers. As she did, a bright light shone from the ceiling and an angel descended.

"I am Remiel. I am an angel of judgment. I am here to guide Estellise, daughter of the mana lineage, on her journey to heaven as the seventh Chosen of Mana," the angel spoke.

"Wow… an angel…" Lloyd gasped.

"They're just as Rita told us…" Karol whispered.

"I'm not worthy to be in such a holy presence," Yuri muttered.

"The time has come to awake the Goddess Katherine, who sleeps at the center of the world," Remiel announced.

"Just as the legend says…" Karol said.

The pink Cruxis Crystal on the altar slowly floated towards Estelle and firmly attached itself to her chest.

"From this moment on, Estellise becomes the Chosen of Regenration. We of Cruxis bless this event, and hear by bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant," Remiel continued.

Another bright light flashed outside. Lloyd, Karol, and Yuri all ran to the window to see what that light was. As the light faded, a new structure could be seen on the horizon. A large ivory tower appeared, seeming to ascend forever.

"That's the Tower of Salvation!? It's so tall!" Yuri gasped.

"Now the world will be saved!" Lloyd and Karol cheered.

"Estellise, the Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the four seals scattered throughout the lands of Sylvarant that guard the Tower of Salvation so that you may climb its stairs to heaven," the angel ordered her.

"I humbly accept this task and promise on the name of the Goddess Katherine to complete it," Estelle promised.

"Very good. We of Cruxis shall grant you the power of the angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded, wounded world will be regenerated," Remiel said.

"Thank you. I swear on my life that this world will be regenerated," Estelle promised.

"First, head south, to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land," Remiel informed her.

"Yes, Lord Remiel."

"Good luck, Chosen oOne. You shall need it in the trials ahead," Remiel warned her.

As Remiel said those words, a bright light surrounded him. It then suddenly exploded into a plume of feathers, taking Remiel back to heaven.

Lloyd stood there in awe. He had just seen the Oracle in person. Not many could claim that at all. Karol walked up to Lloyd, just as awe-struck as he was.

"So that was the Oracle. I wish Rita had seen him. She'd have loved it," Karol commented.

"I'm sure she would have. And then captured Remiel and interrogated him," Lloyd replied.

The two boys chuckled, knowing it was true.

Lloyd decided to check on Estelle. As he went over to her, he ran into Kratos.

"Kratos…" he started.

"Lloyd…" Kratos said.

"Can you believe it?" Lloyd asked.

"I will admit, this is a rare moment that few can claim to be a part of," Kratos admitted. "Now Estellise, the Chosen, must go on a long journey in search of the seals."

"Yes…" Lloyd muttered.

Lloyd then left Kratos and shuffled past to Estelle.

"So you now got the Oracle. Now you can save the world, Estelle!" Lloyd proclaimed.

"Yes…" Estelle muttered.

"What is it, Estelle? You don't sound too happy," Lloyd asked.

"Its just that the journey ahead will be difficult. I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle it," she confessed.

"Don't worry. You're more than able to do it. Besides, you got me, Karol, Yuri, Professor Rita, and your family and friends to back you up," Lloyd told her.

"You're right. I can do this. No… I WILL do this," Estelle swore.

"At a girl," Lloyd replied.

"Chosen, you've received the Oracle. We should leave now. We don't know if the Blood Alliance might return with reinforcements," Kratos informed Estelle.

"Oh! Yes," Estelle answered.

"The Chosen and I will be going on ahead," Kratos informed the others.

He then went into the teleporter and disappeared.

"Karol, Lloyd, Yuri… Thank you. Please stop by my place later on, okay?" Estelle requested.

Estelle then followed Kratos into the teleporter.

"Wow… so now it begins," Karol uttered.

"Yes, it does," Lloyd replied.

"And now, something can finally be done about the Blood Alliance," Yuri replied.

Karol and Lloyd turned to Yuri, and their mood changed again as they remembered that Yuri was there.

"Yuri! We're glad to have you back!" Karol cheered.

"Did you ever get back all those stolen items?" Lloyd asked.

"I did. I already returned Estelle's momento. I also got back Rita's prized book," Yuri answered.

"And what about…" Karol started.

"Don't worry Captain. I got your book back as well," Yuri interrupted as he handed Karol a book.

"Thank you, Yuri. I've been working hard on this Monster Book," Karol sighed.

"And what about…" Lloyd started.

"Don't worry. I have that too, Lloyd." Yuri answered.

He tossed Lloyd a locket. Lloyd opened the locket to see a picture inside. The picture had a young woman with short, brown hair in it. She had a goofy smile on her face, as if there was perfect peace when the photo was taken. Next to her was a man. The photo had been torn, so his face could not be seen. What could be seen was a baby boy in his arms. He was smiling widely, with a hand out towards where would be his father's face.

"Thank you, Yuri. This was my mother's and it's the only clue I have to my dad's identity. It means so much to me," Lloyd thanked.

"Hey. I do what I can," Yuri replied. "But if it wasn't for that one girl, I'd of never had that shot needed to get them back."

"Oh? What girl would that be?" Karol asked.

"I promised Estelle that I'd tell her that story, so when I do, you two can listen in," Yuri promised.

"Works for me!" Lloyd replied.

The three boys then went to the transporter in order to take their leave of the temple.

* * *

**Lunar: (Returns munching on cookies) Well, that ends everything for now. Okay, so its just me now. We have an update on pairings. And that would be:**

**Considering for a pairing: **

**LloydxRita**

**New pairing (for sure):**

**KratosxAnna**

**Lunar: By the way, Mieu refuses to move on that, so no one vote for Kratosx some other person. Mieu is as adamant about that as I am about having no Yaoi. Okay. I think that's all for now. Now review and the boys get Rita and Estelle cookies and the girls get Kratos and Yuri cookies! **


	3. Marble and a Mysterious Statue

**Mieu: Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates. You know the drill. School, family, and all that jazz. And I have marching band, but season is OVER. So I'm FREE!!! Oh, and grandpa's in the hospital n' stuff but he's fine now. (Just to let you know) I've been spending a lot of time in there too. Man, hospitals scare me now.**

**Lunar: As for me, I've been busy too. In the time it took Mieu to get this up, I got four chapters of my story done, a lengthy one-shot done, AND a poem done as well. I kept asking Mieu to let me help her out with this and she finally relented. And that's how this chapter came to be. :P**

**Mieu: Sorryyy…so about…I-have-no-idea-how-far-down Lunar took over because I was all blocked up. Oh. Apparently it's the after the sandwich part. See if you can tell the difference in writing, 'cause one of the reviewers said he couldn't. Hmm, but then again I beta'd and changed it up a bit so it might be hard to tell. Anyways, I took over again after a bit. AND ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. On my profile I have posted the statistics of this and my other story as to what percentage and stuff the next chapter is completed. (Conveniently located at the top.) So please check it out if you are curious about that kind of stuff. I should update it every time I'm bored (and procrastinating on homework), so that should be quite often. And I'll keep you guys posted as to how far Lunar has gotten when it's his turn too. H-ey look it's another long rant - thing. n.n**

**Lunar: …Oh, wonderful. Anyways, disclaimer.**

**Eragonfanatic92 and Lunardragon2607 do not own anything related to Tales. If we did, we'd come up with the most awesome Tales game ever. :D **

**Now then, here's the chapter. Please enjoy. And please check out my other Tales story, Tales of Symphonia: Radiant Dawn. (Sorry for the shameless plugging. :P) And review!**

**Mieu: When did that get in there? n.n  
ACK I CAN NEVER FIND HOW TO ADD A NEW CHAPTER!! Oh wait...**

* * *

As the three boys were beamed down from the tiny temple, maniacal laughter could be heard coming down a set of the hallways.

"What was that?" Yuri wondered aloud while the two younger boys trembled.

"Oh my Goddess…" Lloyd whispered as he backed away from the light of the exit. His back soon reached a brick wall, and Karol soon joined him.

"How is it possible?" Karol whispered, even quieter than Lloyd. Yuri glanced back at the two boys now in a dark corner of a hallway.

"It's like she melded in with the darkness and now she appears out of nowhere…"

"What's going on you two?" He asked, now very curious.

"Shhh!" Lloyd put a finger to his lips, shushing him loudly. "We don't want the professor finding us!"

"Oh, you mean Rita?" the dark haired man asked, genuinely curious. His tone instantly changed to something darker. "What did you two do this time?"

Karol's knees started shaking.

"N-Nothing! We just…skipped class."

"Yeah, and now the Professor is going to FRY us alive!" Lloyd complained rather loudly while waving his arms up and down for emphasis. The laughter instantly stopped, and Rita suddenly emerged from the darkness.

"Who's there?!" she yelled, unable to see to the end of the tunnel.

"It's me, Rita. Along with the two misfits who decided to skip class." Yuri announced darkly.

"Yuri, you're back! …Two students who decided to skip class?" The professor reached behind her back and pulled out a long scarf.

"Yuriii! Why'd you do that?" Lloyd demanded in a whiny voice.

"Oh flickering blaze, burn!" Rita started chanting. Karol attempted to shuffle past Rita but was caught, and was, for lack of a better word, fireball'd. Lloyd and Yuri watched amused as Karol ran about, trying to subdue the tiny embers on his clothing.

"You're next Lloyd!" Rita exclaimed. All color drained from Lloyd's face as he attempted to run away. He half yelled, half scrambled away, but managed to trip over something that looked oddly like Yuri's boot.

"O caprice of innocent waters! Champagne!" Soon, a soaking Lloyd, a well-toasted Karol and a smiling Yuri exited the chapel.

* * *

Yuri had his arms casually behind his head, when Lloyd shot out from behind him like a rocket, soon followed by Karol.

"Hey what's going o-!" Yuri started, but was quickly interrupted by Lloyd.

"Race ya!" He announced, tearing across the fields.

"Lloyd, wait for me!" Karol yelled, attempting to gain speed even with his overly large messenger bag. Yuri sighed, before attempting to catch up to Lloyd. He was surprised to see that Lloyd's speed and endurance had greatly improved in the time that he was gone hunting the thief. He managed to pass Karol and left him in the dust while trying to catch up with Lloyd. Lloyd managed to be Yuri to the village, but soon after Yuri was directed to the Sidos Heurassein household by one of the town watches. However, Lloyd decided to wait for Karol, (whom was extremely far back) so Yuri parted ways with the two.

He meandered over to Estelle's house and opened the door. Sitting inside was the auburn haired man that had helped at the temple, Estelle, her grandmother, her father, and the fat mayor of Iselia. Estelle immediately rose when Yuri came into the room and pointed to the empty seat next to the purple cape man. Yuri hid a scowl with a poker face as he took a seat. The mayor nodded rather clumsily towards the black haired man before speaking.

"We have arrived at this consensus. Kratos, we will pay you 5,000 Gald for assisting the Chosen in the Katherine Chapel, and 3,000 Gald a day for three months. The total should be 259,000. Half of the 3000 a day will go to Mr. Aurion, and half shall pay for the expenses of the group. If you need any more Gald you'll have to make it yourself or ask from the Church of Martel."

Estelle stood up. "Um, sir? It would add up to 257,000." The mayor's face turned red as he started blubbering, "Yes, of course. That's what I said." Yuri scoffed before leaning back in his chair a bit. The red faced man swiftly changed the subject.

"Yuri, would you be willing to join the World Regeneration group as well?" Estelle instantly had a panicked look on her face, shook her head, stood up and flung her arm out. "No! Uh, I mean he just returned from hunting down that thief, so he must be tired! And he saved us from the Blood Alliance not too long ago! And who will watch over the village when we're gone! And, and-" Everyone at the table had a puzzled look on their face. Yuri broke the silence when Estelle's face fell. "Estelle, I'm happy that you're worried about me, but I'll be fine. I'm probably more capable than this guy anyway," he said, jabbing his thumb at Kratos "I could probably beat the old man in a battle any day." He said with a smug look on his face. Kratos scowled and put on a face that said 'Yeah right' but he said nothing. "Anyways, the village has the town watch, remember? Er, but none of them are as good as _I _am though." She sat down. "I'm sorry." The mayor waved his hand. "We need as much protection for the Chosen as possible. Kratos, Yuri, and Rita will guard the chosen at all costs."

Suddenly, the door burst open and Lloyd and an exhausted looking Karol came in.

"You need as many guards for Estelle as possible, right? Then I'll also help take on the job of protecting her!" Lloyd joined in the conversation as if he were there the whole time. The mayor cleared his throat loudly at this interruption.

"As I was saying, Kratos, Yuri, and Rita will guard the chosen. We need good guardians, not an apprentice school boy like yourself and your friend." The mayor glared at Lloyd and gave Karol a disapproving glance. Karol shook in his shoes.

"C'mon, I'm not that bad at fighting! I could really use this trip to improve! Karol can too!" Lloyd argued.

"No Lloyd. Your swordsmanship is unrefined, and the battles at the chapel were nothing compared to what the journey will present. Children need to stay home." Kratos scolded. As if to help Kratos out, Yuri spoke up. "Lloyd, Karol, you guys stay here and guard the village in my place, okay? I'm holding you guys to that promise." Lloyd instantly froze.

"Alright." Lloyd looked downcast. "Kratos is absolutely right. We still have things to discuss. You children should go on home." The mayor made a shooing motion with his hands, as if they were flies he could just will away. Lloyd stormed out of the room, dragging Karol by the arm. He still looked shocked as his heels scrapped against the ground. When Karol finally came to his senses, they were outside Estelle's house and Karol was seated on the ground.

"H-hey, wait a second!" He reached into his purple messenger bag and pulled out a small brown book. He got up and made his way back towards the house.

"What is it Karol?" Lloyd asked, genuinely curious.

"I forgot to do something!" He turned his head back to respond to Lloyd, but didn't notice the door creek inwards and he bumped into Estelle.

"Please wa-oomph!" Karol rebounded off of Estelle and found himself sitting in the dirt again.

"Ack! Oh! Estelle! I forgot, Happy Birthday!" Karol exclaimed, shoving the brown book into her hands before standing up.

"Oh! Thank you! It's a…journal! Thank you so much!" Estelle exclaimed as she flipped through the pages. "I can't wait to fill up this book with stories! Oh! Oh! And record things going about in every day life! Oh! And…and! Of course! The journey of world regeneration!" Karol and Lloyd laughed.

"You're always so enthusiastic about things. That's what I like about you, Estelle." Lloyd said, oblivious to the fact that he never gave Estelle a present.

"You'll become just like Spiritua! Hey, so what about you Lloyd, what did you get Estelle for her birthday? You were going to make her a necklace, right? What ever happened to that?" Karol asked as he nudged Lloyd in the ribs repeatedly and his eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you forgot! You spent weeks saying you were going to make her that necklace in time for her birthday!"

"Uh, oh yeah…um, heh, about that…uh, it's almost done. Uh, I'll give it to you tomorrow… before you leave. I swear it!" Lloyd sheepishly put a hand behind his head, which then changed into a fist.

"Really? Then as soon as I find out what time we're leaving, I'll go over to your house and tell you personally. How's that?"

"Uh…perfect…yeah, just perfect." Karol smiled to himself as he imagined a ball of squiggling blackness over Lloyd's head. "But uh, won't that be dangerous? I mean I live out in the middle of the forest and all…"

"I'll be all right, I'm the Chosen, remember? I'll be fine. Besides, Yuri will come with me too! Anyways, I'll see you later then, all right?" Estelle turned on her heel, opened the door and then shut it with a wave.

"…Liar liar pants on fire." Karol muttered under his breath.

"Hey, I heard that. Besides, if I start on the necklace now, I'll be able to finish it. And I can probably make an extra ring or something like that to match."

"Oh really. And Lloyd, you're going home right now, right? Can I go part of the way with you? I want to visit a friend of mine outside the village."

"I didn't know you had any friends outside the village. Is that the person that you've been giving your lunch to?" Lloyd asked as he started making his way towards Karol's house. Karol's face turned beet red.

"Uh…"

"C'mon, you can't hide it forever! I noticed you've been giving away half of your lunch to someone else! Is it your own little girlfriend? Huh? Or a murderer who's living out in the woods? Or a dog? Or…" By that time they both arrived at the small brown building and Karol quickly entered and came out with a cloth wrapped around some kind of object.

"What's that? …Food? Why are you bringing food?" Karol gave Lloyd a don't-hurt-me glare, but glared at him anyway.

"We can't use healing artes, Lloyd so we should eat food to keep our strength up. Anyways, I got what I came for, so let's get going."

* * *

At the edge of Iselia, Lloyd and Karol found some of the town watch in a bit of a fit. One of them turned and saw Lloyd coming towards them.

"Lloyd! Do something about your mutt! He might do something to the townspeople with that knife of his! Next time he comes to this village, I don't want to see him with that dagger again! He can fend for himself without it, he has teeth and claws." he yelled, lashing out with his pitchfork.

Just then, a blue dog with a pipe in its mouth, a scar across its left eye, and a knife holster on its side, dodged the attack and knocked down the guard, apparently very offended at the mutt comment.

"Repede! You know you're not allowed in the village! Remember what happened last time?" Lloyd scolded. "I'm sorry, are you okay?" he extended an arm but the guard shook it away.

Repede frowned and whined before growling at the town guard.

"Just keep your dog out of here, Lloyd!" the other town watchmen gestured with his pitchfork for them to leave.

"Fine. Come one, you two. Let's get going," Lloyd motioned with his arm before trooping off himself towards the ranch.

* * *

About halfway through the Iselia forest next to a fork in the path, Karol informed Lloyd that he was going off on his own in a different direction.

"Isn't that where the Blood Alliance Ranch is?" Lloyd asked, a frown forming on his face.

Karol remained silent as he looked at his feet and kicked at the dirt below.

"Don't tell me you're involved with the ranch somehow," Lloyd frowned at Karol. "You know how many problems that could cause for the villagers and me."

"No! It's not that! It's just… that there's someone at the ranch that I want to talk to about the Oracle, and to share some of the sandwiches I made with her. She's a good friend of mine. You don't have to follow me, Lloyd. Besides, the Blood Alliance broke the peace treaty anyway by going to the Katherine Chapel and trying to kill Estelle!" Karol exclaimed, stamping a foot into the ground.

"I'm coming with you. I'd worry about you otherwise. Any friend of your friend is my friend!" Lloyd stated while rubbing his nose.

The two of them carefully approached the ranch and Karol led Lloyd and Repede to a fence on the side of the ranch. There, an old woman with a large nose and potato sack looking clothes greeted them.

"Marble! Did you see it?" Karol asked, "The Oracle came!"

"I did see it. Now the Journey can begin and Sylvarant can finally be swept from its path of ruin. And may I ask who this young man is?" Marble asked turning her attention to Lloyd.

"I'm Lloyd, a friend of Karol's," he pointed a finger at himself. " And this is my dog, Repede."

"Woof," he barked quietly and nodded his head.

"Nice to meet you, Lloyd and Repede," she greeted.

As the three talked, Lloyd noticed that Marble had an Exsphere without a Key Crest on it. He warned her of what would happen should she not have a Key Crest. Karol pleaded with Lloyd to get her a Key Crest and he reluctantly agreed. Just then, some Blood Alliance members spotted Marble and started to approach. Marble quickly shooed Karol, Lloyd, and Repede away before they were caught. The three then too a position on a nearby cliff to see what was going on and saw poor Marble getting whipped.

"Lloyd! We have to help her!" Karol pleaded.

"I know, I know, but what can we do without getting caught?" Lloyd replied.

Karol frowned and tried to think of something.

"And just what are the two of you are up to?" someone asked.

The two of them turned around and saw Yuri standing next to them on the cliff.

"Yuri!" they both gasped.

"Where'd you come from? You came outta no where!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" Karol asked.

"Estelle saw how angry Lloyd was at the Mayor and Kratos, so she sent me to make sure you didn't do anything stupid. And what have you two troublemakers been up to involving the ranch?" he asked.

Karol quickly explained what was going on.

"Those bastards!" he growled. "I'm in. What do you need me to do?"

Lloyd instantly came up with a plan. Yuri would attack the BA members with Azure Edge from the cliff. Lloyd would be the decoy and lead them away. In the meantime, Karol would make his way back to Iselia and Lloyd, Karol, and Yuri would head to Lloyd's house. To be safe, Yuri reached into his pocked and pulled out a black hat and plopped it onto Lloyd's head, hiding half his face.

"To protect your secret identity, Mr. Superhero," Yuri explained.

The stage was set and they set their plan into motion. Yuri fired off several Azure Edges, killing the ones who were beating Marble. Lloyd then began running around, distracting the other guards. As he acted as the decoy, Karol, Repede, and Yuri attempted their getaway. Yuri and Repede successfully managed to escape. Unfortunately, Karol tripped, catching the attention of some of the guards.

Lloyd noticed this and had to double back to help Karol. After killing some more guards, Lloyd escaped by jumping over a cliff, while Karol made a run for it.

* * *

After Karol apologized to Lloyd for what happened, he went back to Iselia. Lloyd went back inside the forest and met up with Yuri and Repede.

"Everything okay?" Yuri asked, glancing over at everyone.

"Yeah. Everything went according to plan. By the way, here's your hat back," Lloyd offered.

"Good. Now let's get to your house. I've been wanting to see your old man," Yuri replied.

"Woof!" Repede barked, enforcing Yuri's words.

After some walking, the three of them made it to Lloyd's house. As Lloyd charged in to get some dinner and to ask about the key crest, Yuri noticed something weird about the outside of the house. There was a suspicious looking statue awkwardly dumped between the flowers, and it looked as if it was recently placed there.

"Have they always had a statue of a female swordsman with wings holding another girl in her arms? What weird taste." Yuri spoke out loud.

Repede began sniffing the statue and growled, pulling out his knife from its sheath on his back. Yuri drew his sword shortly after, and was instantly ready for anything.

"Whatever you are, reveal yourself now or you're going be in a world of pain! Throw whatever you want at me, I'm prepared for anything!" Yuri threatened, inching forward with his sword and poking the statue.

The statue suddenly exploded into a column of colorful smoke, confetti, cards and streamers.

"I am the magician of Mana, the Spellbinding Mage!" a voice called out from beyond the smoke. A girl with brown hair (turning blonde half way down) in a lilac magician's costume, carrying a black and white magician's wand emerged. She also had a black cape that was crimson on the inside, white pants and a black top hat with a bright red stripe. Before Yuri had a chance to clear the smoke entering his lungs the mysterious girl spoke. "I will now teach you how to use Dark Sphere!" She flipped through a deck of cards and pulled out one. "Oh, looks like you don't know magic. No problem." She flipped through the deck a bit more and pulled out another card. She slapped them both into Yuri's hand, shook said hand firmly and the cards dissipated into his hand. Shortly after she disappeared into a white puff from where rabbits and doves emerged and scattered.

Yuri had a very puzzled look on his face that said, 'Not prepared for that' as he glanced down at his hand. It glowed black for a brief moment, and then the darkness disappeared. _I feel power running through my veins. _Yuri thought. Then he glanced at his arm again.

"…Okay, what the hell just happened here?"

* * *

**Mieu: Hehe. Hey, another update. I actually commissioned my brother to draw the Spellbinding Mage (She's not me; she's a friend of ours. Although I do have the two - toned hair thing going on…) Here is her picture (remove spaces):**

**Link: http:// theemperorofshadows . deviantart . com/ art/ The-Magician-102147122**

**(And if you look carefully, you can see my homework on the back! ((He wanted to use scratch paper.)))**

**Next chapter is Lunar!**

**If there are any proposed pairings other than the ones we have now, please tell me because we have an extremely short list. Review and get a Kratos Plushie with Yuri's pimped black hat! (And please, do review. I was also unmotivated at the lack of reviews for the previous chapter.) If anything, review for motivation for the authors! Especially Lunar! I think he was depressed at the amount of reviews the last chapter received…**


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